1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel polymerizable compounds and polymer compounds that are useful as various kinds of functional materials, compositions using such a polymer compound, and image forming methods and image forming apparatus, and particularly to ink compositions and toner compositions using such a polymer compound together with a solvent or dispersion medium and a coloring material, and various image forming methods and image forming apparatus using such a composition.
2. Related Background Art
An ink composition or toner composition has heretofore been prepared by dissolving or dispersing a coloring material in a solvent. In these compositions, various kinds of polymer materials are preferably used. For example, styrylic, acrylic and methacrylic polymer compounds are used. In a color material composition using a solvent and/or water as a base material, it is generally attempted to preferably utilize a polymer material having an ionic functional group to improve the dispersibility of a coloring material such as a pigment.
On the other hand, polymer compounds having a main poly(vinyl ether) chain have also been known as polymer materials having a flexible polymer chain. However, it is scarcely conducted to introduce an ionic functional group into a repeating unit of such a polymer compound. “Journal of Polymer Science: Part A, Polymer Chemistry”, Vol. 27, (1989) slightly describes that carboxylic acids and esters thereof described on pages 3303 to 3314 in the Journal have such a possibility. As the stability of such compounds, higher stability is required under the circumstances.